Pig & Whistle Restaurant is located in a 16th century building with a long history of serving customers as a public house. When Brendan Curran first set his eyes on a run down public house in the Chelmsford countryside he had dreams to transform it into a restaurant fit for like minded foodies.

Over the years, due to changes in smoking and drink driving laws, the level of drinking customers had dwindled for the Chignal Smealy building so when Brendan took over in 2013 he set about turning the space into a restaurant. Six months later he met restaurateur Amanda Hudson and they set about creating the perfect restaurant which this week was awarded the best customer service award at the Essex Life Food & Drink Awards 2018.

The popular Chelmsford restaurant, consistently in the top 10 for Chelmsford on TripAdvisor, is the brainchild of Brendan Curran. Brendan, originally from Waterford transformed the countryside venue in the village of Chignal Smealy. He said, “Pig & Whistle Restaurant is only 10 minutes from Chelmsford city centre. We have a love of good food, drink and good customer service and we’ve created a restaurant our customers love.” Irishman Brendan is the showman of his restaurant floor. He previously served as cabin crew for an irish airline and sets out to provide the same standard of service he likes to receive when he dines out. Brendan loves good food, drink and has a flair for unique decor. He has an eye for picking colours and furniture to create a homely vibe which customers rave about on TripAdvisor, Facebook and Instagram.

The Essex Life award for customer service was judged on the restaurants ability to understand and anticipate customers’ needs, to have a good knowledge of menus, dishes and drink matching as well as a personable approach that complements the establishment to enhance the visit. Amanda added, “From the moment you walk in the door, the Pig & Whistle Restaurant aims to give you the best customer experience. Whether it’s a relaxed lunch, candlelit evening or relaxing Sunday lunch, our team are here to create a relaxed, friendly environment for people to meet for great food and drink.”

The majority of Pig & Whistle Restaurant customers make the short journey into the countryside between Writtle and Broomfield to enjoy the hospitality, some travelling across Essex to enjoy a visit. Last year this led to the restaurant to become a finalist in the Essex destination venue category as well as being nominated for Essex restaurant of the year at this years British Restaurant Awards.